Status: Completed
P.S I Love You
FIVE YEARS LATER
“Janessa get over here.” Holly called over her daughter before she ran off with Lisa to the swings.
“Mom! I want to go play!” She crossed her arms, and stomped her foot, which made Holly giggle.
“Not until you put sun screen on. You know that.”
Janessa whined as she held out her arm so Holly could rub the sunscreen on her. When she was done she patted Janessa’s hand so she could run after Lisa. Janessa giggled the whole way down to the swings. Holly watched as her and Lisa giggled every time they came down.
“She reminds me of Gerry.” Sharon whispered as she patted the back of her baby boy, Ron. Ron was only two months old and a splitting image of John.
Holly giggled, “She does. Every time she smiles or laughs.”
Sharon nodded, “Just like Lisa. But John’s side only comes out when she starts her bitching.”
Holly laughed, “Where’s Denise?”
Right on cue, Holly saw Denise’s little three year old son running for the girls on the swings. When the girls saw him coming they screamed and ran.
“TOM!” Denise yelled. She stopped in front of Holly and waved her hand as she took a seat next to Holly.
“Hello.” Sharon laughed. Holly giggled.
“That boy drives me insane!” Denise pulled her hair into a tighter pony tail and straightened out her blue t-shirt.
Holly laughed, “Well have you met his father.”
Denise starred at her threw her sunglasses, “Well I am married to him smart ass. I do know what he’s like.”
Sharon snorted, “Sure.”
Holly glanced towards Janessa who started to wave at Holly when she stood at the top of the slide. Holly giggled as she waved back.
“LISA! No!” Sharon shouted. Lisa was about to push Tom off the slide before he was even sitting down.
Holly shook her head as she saw Janessa laughing when Tom fell face first into the sand.
“Is he ok?” Sharon asked when Tom looked around.
“He’s fine. The boy could fall off my deck and stand up laughing.” Denise sighed.
Holly giggled, “That’s true. The other day I babysat him, and he fell face first on my floor from my bed. I thought the kid was going to scream, but he just shrugged it off and walked away.”
Sharon and Denise laughed, “John said when he spent the day with Tom and little T they were here at the park when he slammed down on his back from the top of the monkey bars. John expected the same as you Holly, but he just climbed them again like nothing happened.”
Denise sighed, “Tom thinks he’ll be a stunt man.”
Holly laughed, “The next star of the Jackass movies.”
Sharon giggled with Denise.
Holly spent the rest of the afternoon with her favorite people. Denise and Sharon left with goodbye kisses on her and Janessa’s cheeks before they all three took separate cabs back home.
Janessa was usually quiet the way home, Holly knew she must be tired.
“Mom?”
“Mhmm?”
Holly could hear the soft sigh that came out of her daughter. “If I ask you something….Will you tell me the truth?”
Holly starred at Janessa with her brows pulled together, “Of course honey.”
Janessa didn’t know how to ask this, but she wanted to know something very quickly.
“What is it Jay?”
Holly hated the sad look in her daughter’s hazel eyes. She wrapped her arm around her tiny shoulders.
“Why don’t I have a dad?”
Holly looked away from her daughter. That caught her off guard. She wasn’t ready to answer a question like that.
“Let’s wait until we get home ok?”
Janessa nodded and turned her attention out the window.
Holly ran her fingers threw her hair, she wasn’t ready to answer this. She was not ready to tell her daughter that her dad was dead. She couldn’t. But she had too. Holly knew this was going to happen, she knew she needed to be prepared for the day Jay asked about Gerry.
Holly paid the cab driver and walked up the stairs with her daughter in her arms. She set Jay down as she swung the door open. Holly was locking the door when she felt something she hasn’t felt in a really long time. A small tingle on her cheek made her freeze in her place.
“Gerry?” Holly whispered.
“What’s did you say?” Janessa asked. Holly quickly wiped away the tears that escaped her eyes. She turned to face her daughter with a fake smile on her face.
“Nothing Jay.”
Janessa shrugged her tiny shoulders as she skipped to the sofa and turned on the T.V.
Holly sat in the kitchen touching her cheek. She couldn’t believe she just felt the most amazing feeling ever. Holly looked over at Janessa, she was smiling at the cartoon playing on the T.V. Holly took a couple of breaths before she walked over to Janessa and began her story about Gerry.
“Mom! I want to go play!” She crossed her arms, and stomped her foot, which made Holly giggle.
“Not until you put sun screen on. You know that.”
Janessa whined as she held out her arm so Holly could rub the sunscreen on her. When she was done she patted Janessa’s hand so she could run after Lisa. Janessa giggled the whole way down to the swings. Holly watched as her and Lisa giggled every time they came down.
“She reminds me of Gerry.” Sharon whispered as she patted the back of her baby boy, Ron. Ron was only two months old and a splitting image of John.
Holly giggled, “She does. Every time she smiles or laughs.”
Sharon nodded, “Just like Lisa. But John’s side only comes out when she starts her bitching.”
Holly laughed, “Where’s Denise?”
Right on cue, Holly saw Denise’s little three year old son running for the girls on the swings. When the girls saw him coming they screamed and ran.
“TOM!” Denise yelled. She stopped in front of Holly and waved her hand as she took a seat next to Holly.
“Hello.” Sharon laughed. Holly giggled.
“That boy drives me insane!” Denise pulled her hair into a tighter pony tail and straightened out her blue t-shirt.
Holly laughed, “Well have you met his father.”
Denise starred at her threw her sunglasses, “Well I am married to him smart ass. I do know what he’s like.”
Sharon snorted, “Sure.”
Holly glanced towards Janessa who started to wave at Holly when she stood at the top of the slide. Holly giggled as she waved back.
“LISA! No!” Sharon shouted. Lisa was about to push Tom off the slide before he was even sitting down.
Holly shook her head as she saw Janessa laughing when Tom fell face first into the sand.
“Is he ok?” Sharon asked when Tom looked around.
“He’s fine. The boy could fall off my deck and stand up laughing.” Denise sighed.
Holly giggled, “That’s true. The other day I babysat him, and he fell face first on my floor from my bed. I thought the kid was going to scream, but he just shrugged it off and walked away.”
Sharon and Denise laughed, “John said when he spent the day with Tom and little T they were here at the park when he slammed down on his back from the top of the monkey bars. John expected the same as you Holly, but he just climbed them again like nothing happened.”
Denise sighed, “Tom thinks he’ll be a stunt man.”
Holly laughed, “The next star of the Jackass movies.”
Sharon giggled with Denise.
Holly spent the rest of the afternoon with her favorite people. Denise and Sharon left with goodbye kisses on her and Janessa’s cheeks before they all three took separate cabs back home.
Janessa was usually quiet the way home, Holly knew she must be tired.
“Mom?”
“Mhmm?”
Holly could hear the soft sigh that came out of her daughter. “If I ask you something….Will you tell me the truth?”
Holly starred at Janessa with her brows pulled together, “Of course honey.”
Janessa didn’t know how to ask this, but she wanted to know something very quickly.
“What is it Jay?”
Holly hated the sad look in her daughter’s hazel eyes. She wrapped her arm around her tiny shoulders.
“Why don’t I have a dad?”
Holly looked away from her daughter. That caught her off guard. She wasn’t ready to answer a question like that.
“Let’s wait until we get home ok?”
Janessa nodded and turned her attention out the window.
Holly ran her fingers threw her hair, she wasn’t ready to answer this. She was not ready to tell her daughter that her dad was dead. She couldn’t. But she had too. Holly knew this was going to happen, she knew she needed to be prepared for the day Jay asked about Gerry.
Holly paid the cab driver and walked up the stairs with her daughter in her arms. She set Jay down as she swung the door open. Holly was locking the door when she felt something she hasn’t felt in a really long time. A small tingle on her cheek made her freeze in her place.
“Gerry?” Holly whispered.
“What’s did you say?” Janessa asked. Holly quickly wiped away the tears that escaped her eyes. She turned to face her daughter with a fake smile on her face.
“Nothing Jay.”
Janessa shrugged her tiny shoulders as she skipped to the sofa and turned on the T.V.
Holly sat in the kitchen touching her cheek. She couldn’t believe she just felt the most amazing feeling ever. Holly looked over at Janessa, she was smiling at the cartoon playing on the T.V. Holly took a couple of breaths before she walked over to Janessa and began her story about Gerry.